NOVA Pro Wrestling: Such Great Heights, Annandale, VA
This is Jonathan Gresham making the third defense of his Powerbomb.tv Independent championship. Would you believe that despite the hype among people I like, this will be the first NOVA Pro match I ever watched?
Dutt offers a handshake, Gresham seems to want to accept it, and Stokely Hathaway stops it. Gresham has been full dickhead in his PBTV title defenses, so that’s a little different.
Collar-and-elbow, Gresham pushed to the corner. Dutt with a clean break. Circle around, knuckle lock, and they battle with that at mid-ring. Gresham bridges down, comes back up, and Dutt still has the leverage. Dutt rolls back and through, still has the hold and the leverage. Suplex from Dutt, quick count, they’re staying in the hold. Snapmare from Gresham, Dutt grabs a wristlock.
Snapmare, repeat, Gresham eventually gets through and stomps the bicep, and Dutt’s arm will be his target. Dutt escapes the clutches. Another knuckle lock, just one hand, and Gresham maneuvering Dutt around. Headscissors from Dutt. Gresham gets out, grabs a headlock, right back to Dutt’s headscissors. Gresham constantly with Dutt on the mat, even when Dutt seems to have the advantage.
Wristlock from Gresham, Dutt flips out. Dutt with an armdrag, Gresham grabs a headscissors, they’re both up and at a stalemate. Knuckle lock again, this has been clean and scientific so far. Gresham whipped to the corner, gets a foot up, kicks over Dutt, takes him down, off the ropes and hits a kick to the arm, then a snapping armdrag meant more to punish the arm, to rip it out of socket, than to take Dutt over. More of an armwhip than an armdrag.
Gresham back to the wristlock, now pounding away a bit, getting arrogant, showing off, showing how easy it is for him to dominate on the mat. Manipulation of the digits and joints now. Gresham goes for another armdrag, blocked, Gresham off the ropes, cardinal mistake from Dutt, kick from Gresham, but then Dutt nails a dropkick and Gresham goes to the floor.
Baseball slide from Sonjay doesn’t hit, almost hits Stokely Hathaway. Gresham runs Dutt into the ringpost when Dutt is distracted by Big Stoke. Gresham has won title defenses over Flip Gordon and Nick Gage by countout, so it matters what he’s doing outside. Gresham hits the suicide dive.
Back in the ring, Gresham continues to work on the arm. He’s in total control. Gresham throws Dutt back to the floor, Stokely gets involved a second time, grabbing an armbar on Dutt for a moment to keep the pain flowing. Dutt back into the ring.
Dutt with a jawbreaker, Gresham catches the arm again coming off the ropes, hammers down on it, and cuts off Dutt’s potential momentum instantly. Gresham gets another two count, and then goes right back to the arm and wrist.
Dutt with a right hand. Gresham punches him in the shoulder, Dutt punch, Gresham forearm, everything he’s doing is to the arm. Dutt with an overhand right to create some separation, but Gresham holds the rope with Dutt going for an Irish whip, hurting Dutt’s arm further.
Dutt with a rolling dropkick, he keeps getting closer to mounting something of a comeback. Dutt with a clothesline, back suplex but Gresham flips out. Gresham runs into the corner, kick from Dutt, missile dropkick from the second rope after a SUCKIT to Stokely. Two count for Dutt.
Sonjay goes for a springboard DDT, Gresham blocks with an uppercut to the arm, Dutt sweeps the legs. Kick misses, standing moonsault hits, two count again for Dutt. Kick to the arm from Gresham as Dutt tries to get going again. Dutt off the ropes, leapfrog, snap German from Gresham gets two on a deep bridge.
Dutt down and hurting, Gresham back in control. Sonjay trying to rally the crowd, official is counting Dutt down in the ring, believable enough on this journey for Gresham. Nut punch from Gresham. Gresham going for the octopus, Dutt blocks and gets away, quick reversals, Gresham takes him down with a knee, Gresham hits a rana, off the ropes, kick misses, and Dutt goes down with his knee hurting.
Gresham sees it and grabs a figure four. Dutt, who looks fine a second before, falls back and, uh, passes out, I guess? But then he seems relatively OK after the referee has stopped the match?
Rating: 3.5/5. Weird/not good finish aside, it’s a very strong match, probably my favorite of the PBTV title matches I’ve watched so far. It also contained the least Gresham brawling. Probably not a coincidence.
Tape Machines Are Rolling 
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